Effect of Touch-produced Sounds on Surface Texture Perception

Jinhwan Kwon, Department of Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications

Suguru Hata, Department of Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications

Natsumi Komoto, Department of Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications

Maki Sakamoto, Department of Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications

Abstract

Texture is an important source of information for distinguishing
surface properties. We are able to perceive various textural properties of
surfaces from tactile or visual inputs. However, it is unclear how touch-produced
sounds influence the various surface texture perceptions. In this study, we
examined whether the touch sounds produced by different surface textures
influence the various surface perceptions. Consequently, the surface textures
with high height and wide interval resulted in rough, bumpy, soft and cool
perceptions and the surface textures with the low height and narrow interval
resulted in smooth, flat, hard and warm perception. Also, there were
statistically significant differences in these measures between two surface
texture groups. Furthermore, significantly positive correlations were found in
“rough – smooth”, “bumpy – flat”,
“sticky – slippery”, “wet – dry” and
“unpleasant – pleasant” measures between touch-produced sounds
and actual touch. This indicate that the touch-produced sounds influence various
surface perceptions.